The Core 100 program invites students and faculty from the College to join us for our weekly lecture series. Each week, all of the first-year students participate in lecture-discussions with about 400 of their classmates. We have space in the Center for the Arts (Building 1P) Williamson Theatre to accommodate individual guests and can have as many as two additional classes at each of the lectures. No permission is needed for classes to attend, but please notify Donna Scimeca (718.982.3405) if you plan to bring a class.

The lectures are 50 minutes and are all in the Williamson Theatre. They meet on the following days/times: Wednesdays at 11:15am; on Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm; and on Saturdays at 10:10am in Building 1P, Room 119.

The focus of the Core Lecture Series this semester will be to directly link the program’s curriculum to current events.

The Lecture Series Schedule for the Week of Apr. 1, 2019 

Wednesday, Apr. 3:

-11:15am: Corelandia, presented by Victor Miller and Faculty

This past week was quite productive. The hospital was finished and all the sick are currently healing. The well project has been very successful and water has returned to Corelandia, allowing crops to be fed. The first Corelandian school is now complete and Corelandians can begin learning: architecture, math, chemistry, blacksmithing, art, history, pre-medicine, and farming techniques. Corelandians have elected their new King: Joe Ist. The blacksmiths are asking for regulation regarding guns. With all the success within Corelandia, an expedition was dispatched to explore the surrounding lands. They have just arrived back and found something.

Victor Miller earned a BA in History at the College of Staten Island in 2005 and an MS in Adolescent Education in 2008. He has been an Adjunct of Core 100 since February 2012 and currently also works in the Center for Advising and Academic Success. Victor is the of author of the “Summer of ’87” Reacting to the Past classroom simulation and also recently served on the Core 100 textbook editing committee.

Thursday, Apr. 4:

-8:00am: “The Green New Deal,” presented by James Smith

On Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, Sen. Ed Markey (D., MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., NY) announced a Congressional Resolution calling for national mobilization in response to the climate crisis on the order of this nation’s reply to the Great Depression and World War II. Unlike those historical antecedents, however, the proponents of this project seek to ensure that “frontline and vulnerable communities” share in the economic and ecological benefits of this undertaking. This lecture will place the proposal in historical context and review the ideas set forth in the Resolution and in ancillary documents. Further, the lecture will address the political fallout from the announcement, including this week’s vote in the Senate and the 2020 presidential election.

James Smith earned a BA in Economics and Political Science, as well as an MA in Modern History from Fordham University. He received a JD from Fordham’s School of Law and an LLM degree from New York University, School of Law. He is currently a PhD candidate in American History at Fordham.

-10:10am: “Climate Change: Part One: The Role of the Government,” presented by Donna Scimeca

On Wednesday, Oct, 17, 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a 700-page report on the impacts of global warming. The report cites that “human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate.” The report further warns that we have just 12 years to make massive and unprecedented changes to global energy infrastructure to limit global warming to moderate levels.

Donna Scimeca, the Core Program Coordinator, will present the first of a three-part lecture series that examines the role that the government, society, and the economy can play in addressing this challenge.

-4:40pm: “Privacy and the Right to Choose,” presented by Anthony Casella

This lecture will examine the 9th and 14th Amendments as they protect privacy rights, with regard to a woman’s right to choose. Professor Casella will lead a discussion on whether the decision in Roe v Wade (1973) remains “in line” with some recent state laws passed regarding women’s reproductive rights.

Anthony Casella has been a member of the Core faculty since 2009. He received both a BA in History and an MS in Science in Education from St. John’s University. Professor Casella also received an MA in Administration and Supervision from CSI/CUNY.  He is currently an Assistant Principal at PS 25R South Richmond HS on Staten Island.

-6:30pm: “The Student Debt Crisis,” presented by Joseph Frusci

How did the cost for college lead us to the student debt crisis? This lecture will examine the rising cost of a college education, as well as the student debt crisis created by student loans to cover the cost of education. Is this the next economic bubble to burst?

Joseph Frusci, EdD is a prior-service Army National Guardsman who earned a BA and MA in History, as well as the Doctor of Education degreeat Northeastern University  He has been teaching with the Core Program since 2012, and is the author of the “2008 Bailout,” a Reacting to the Past game, which engages students in the complexities of the economic crisis of 2007-2008. He also teaches American History, Government, Economics, and Computer Science for the New York City Department of Education at Staten Island Technical High School.